Jakobshavn Glacier captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1

This radar image of the Jakobshavn Glacier on Greenland's west coast was captured by Copernicus Sentinel-1 on 03 August 2024.

Jakobshavn drains approximately 6.5% of the Greenland ice sheet and produces around 10% of its icebergs. Many of these icebergs are so large that they become grounded in shallower areas of the fjord, where they remain for years  until melting sufficiently to break apart and disperse. 

Several icebergs can be seen scattered across the fjord, speckling the waters of Disko Bay. Radar missions like Sentinel-1 are remarkably useful in monitoring sea ice, ice sheets and drifting icebergs, particularly in polar regions. Unlike optical imaging, radar can acquire images under any weather conditions, day or night.